Wordless Wednesday -- Leaves

Good Ride

So today I was only gonna ride Jessie cause she needs it and I was tired but I got my butt outside and caught her.  I took off her blanket (hopefully permanently) and got her ready.  Meanwhile Razz was running around the pen missing her buddy.  I had debated on ponying her but thought it would be too much work and so I wasn't gonna but since she was making such a ruckus I took Jess over to the gate and caught Razz and thought it cant be worse than yesterday, even though they have never done this before and Jessie is grouchy to everyone who comes near her.

I never brought my camera cause I thought I would have my hands full.  But as soon as I got on and Jess started walking Razz just followed along, any little bit of pressure on her halter and she stepped up so there wasn't any.  I was so impressed.  Makes me think if a horse leads well they should pony well and Razz never lets there be pressure on the rope so it was good.  And Jessie only made cranky ears once, but Razz just ignores her so it was all good.  I even was brave enough to try a trot for a bit, Razz was unsure about that at first, but she figured it out too.

Have I mentioned lately how much I like her :)  She is exactly the reason I like young horses, I get to bring them up to the way i want a horse to behave. Not that Jessie is bad by any means, just hasn't figured out exactly what I mean all the time.  And was kinda funny out there, when Jess saw something she thought was gonna eat her she just stops so she can see it and Razz just ignores it and keeps going so Jessie follows, was kinda weird.  Even going through mud Jess is kinda hesitant and Razz just plows through them so Jess did too.  Will be good lessons for her I think.  I thought it would be better the other way around but I guess this works too.

We went out in the bull pasture today (no bulls in there yet they are still down south) and Jess came up to the dugout hill and started walking up it, so I let her.  Pretty much the whole ride I let her pick the direction as long as she kept going (she don't know how to go in a straight line so it probly looked weird if anyone was watching )  But as we got to the top she saw the dugout and almost jumped out of her skin, lol.  I don't know if she has never seen a dugout before or what but it was sure funny.

We came back after about 15-20 minutes and I was happy with them both, I need to find more places to take them and go for longer rides now that I know they are good.  Afterwards I let them graze in the yard until Razz decided to plow through the caraganas and see the horses in the pasture on the other side.  I figured she was done eating and so that was the end of it.  I would like to keep them out there, but don't need them going through the brush and have found about 15 minutes they will eat and after that they start wandering.

Back on Schedule

So this morning I figured it was time to get back to riding regularly.  After about 2 1/2 inches of rain in the last 10 day and everything else going on I have hardly been on a horse.  But that has changed today :)

I thought I would ride Razz a bit then come back and grab Jessie and maybe pony her for a bit if Razz was being good.  Well as things went, I had Razz saddled up and she seemed fine (even though I hadn't rode her since Jan) and so I grabbed Jessie's rope and climbed on.  She wanted to walk right away and I had so much ropes and reins and camera and stuff I was just uncoordinated.

But I got the camera around my neck and the mecarte around the horn and reins in one hand and lead rope in the other.  Whew.  So I try to walk away and Jessie thinks she should stay behind and eat grass, so I patiently pull her up to where I want her (by my leg) and she stands nice there until we start walking and then she just drags.

 My arm was wearing out after about 10 minutes of that so I put it around my saddle horn so I only have to hold the end and not so much pulling on me. Razz was awesome she just leaned into it and kept on moving.  The harder Jessie pulled the faster Razz went.  It was kinda funny in kinda a frustrating way.  We stopped for a bit and I wouldn't let Jessie eat even though she sure tried.  I had to eventually head back cause Razz is kinda fat when Jessie pulled hard it pulls my saddle off to the side.  I thought about switching to pony Razz but had her in the hackmore and never rode Jessie in that before and so figured that's not where I wanna try it out.

I got back and put Razz in the pen and saddle Jessie cause she dint get much of a workout and we went back out.  She didn't really want to when she saw Razz eating grass and Magic in the pen beside us and horses in the pasture.  Probly the only time I got on her and she didn't start walking away before I was hardly seated.  So we stood for a bit and I got a good pic of our house from there.

 Then I asked her to go and we headed out the same direction and over to where the smoke (dust from gravel getting made into ashpalt) was coming from.  I figured I know I get bored riding alone  without a purpose so if I had somewhere to go then it would be better.  It is only about 4 miles from our house out there and so we walked and trotted and even got a little lope in. Finally got as close as we could without going into the creek.

  So we turned and headed back, past our gas well.

And saw these really cool white flowers, of which I have no idea what they are.  Sure lots of stuff I don't know out there, also saw a grass I didn't recognize that I wish I got a pic of.

 And passed a dead cow (from a long time ago) and saw a deer antler.  We also saw a a crocus that was still alive, although Jessie stepped on it so probly not doing so well anymore.

 Most are done now though, I kinda thought they should be but with all the rain we been getting lately I wasn't sure.

 Then Jessie stopped just staring and so I look over to where she is expecting deer or antelope and its Neil in his truck.  You can just see him hes a speck on the horizon.

He said he come in and saw a horse and couldn't find me then seen me out there so thought he would see what I was doing.  While he was out there, I got him to take some pics of me.  I asked if her ears were forward and now I look at the pics and they aren't, but oh well, don't get many pics of me on a horse so they will do.

Then headed home and unsaddled and fed them and go in the house and Neil had lunch made :)  I didn't expect that but was a nice surprise.

Another Rainy Day

So today there was a couple sales I wanted to go to.  But one is in Olds and is the Draft Horse Sale I usually go to and the other is a neighbors farm auction with lots of wagons and driving stuff.  I stayed away cause even though I really do enjoy driving I know right now I don't need anymore stuff and am busy enough as it is this year.  And I had planned on riding and stuff, but of course it rained and so am inside.

And yesterday I was in town and got a bunch of plants that I am gonna plant this year if it ever turns into summer.  I got a couple climbing roses to put on the sides of the arbour I dont have built yet.  I guess I should get on that.  They are a pretty pink color and should look nice, I really wanted yellow, but finding a yellow climbing rose that is hardy for here.

I also ended up with a couple pots of strawberries and a blueberry and a blackberry and a raspberry.  I love the little flowers on the blueberry plant they look like little bells.  I have always wanted to grow both blueberries and blackberries but am not sure how they will overwinter so I got only one and if they survive I will get more next year.

I think I mentioned this last year and never did anything about it, but I got a corner of my garden shed that is kinda icky to mow and so am thinking I will end up planting some perrrenials, tall ones in the back and then shorter as they get closer to the lawn.

Oh and on the north side of the greenhouse is my lillies and they are slowly coming out of the ground, always nice to see they survived the winter.

And I got looking out and we almost have leaves on the lilacs, hard to imagine in a month they will be blooming like crazy.

Also watched the Kentucky Derby and I am not a very good guesser at the winner, cause my two ended up 9th and 16th.  Oops good thing I wasn't there to bet in real, although I mighta been tempted to bet on Bodemeister who ended up second too.  Sure would like to go there one day too.